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THE YO- SEMITE;

ITS HISTORY, ITS SCENERY, ITS DEVELOPMENT.

Br JOHN ERASTUS LESTER.

Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1873, by John Erastup Lester, in the
office of the Librari.an of Congress at Washington.

^

PROVIDENCE:

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR
1873.

,_J

<^

^^.

PlJOVIDENCE PkESS Co., PiiiNTEKS.

1

C>'

NOTE.

The following paper was prepared for, and read before the Rhode
Island Historical Society, at their Cabinet, December ITth, 1872.

Many references and notes have been added to the original text.

Since these pages were in type, the Supreme Com't of the United States
has rendered their decision confirming the grant of the Yo-Seraite to the
State of California as a national park, and thus it would seem all claims
of private individuals are forever quieted.

The paper is published at the request of many friends, and into their
hands it is committed.

J. E. L.
February \st, 1873.

THE YO-SEMITE.

I am aware that my subject seems better fitted for a scien-
tific society, than one, which, like onrs, seeks to preserve the
recorded facts of the past. But we all love Nature and she
addresses us in so varied moods that there is no one, who
does not at some time find great pleasure in contemplating
her developments. Nowhere probably upon the whole globe,
has she given a more sul^lime and grand development, than
in the valley, the surrounding hills and those magnificent
waterfalls, which have taken the general name of Yo-Se3Iite.
My task then shall be to tell }'ou, what I can, in the brief
time allotted me, of the Yo-Semite, the history of its discovery
and exploration, its scenery and its future development.

I rthi also aware, how very far short of satisfaction to
myself, as well as to you, I shall come in any attempt to
describe the sublimity and grandeur of this scenery ; I can
only indicate, leaving your imagination to paint a more per-
fect picture, and trusting that you all may yet behold, as I
have, those scenes with your own eyes, and drink in the inspi-
ration— the voice of God speaking to us through Nature.

The history of the Yo-Semite is, to a certain extent, the
history of California, for in this, culminates all the glories of
her magnificent scenery, and to preserve this place, where
man is forbidden to build his cities or in great numbers to
congregate, as a sacred park, she has always labored, aided
as far as possible l>y the Nation in her Legislative Councils.
The discovery of gold, gave to California a sudden and almost

4 THE YO-SEMITE.

unprecedented popnlarity and hitlier Hocked people l)y the
thousands to seek that ever hiring, l)ut ever vanishing phan-
tom— a fortune. The facts conuected with the early settle-
meuts upon the Paeitic coast of North America, the various
expeditions, the development under Spanish rule, and the
wresting of that section now comprising California from the
Spaniards are familiar to you all.*

The great extent of the State, its varied climates, the pau-
city of settlements, and the vast regions even now compara-
tively unexplored are not comprehended by us in the East,
and are facts rarely known to others than those who have
visited the " Golden State."

In examining that much vexed question as to the origin of
the name of the State, I chanced upon an earlier mention of
the existence of gold in that section of country than I have
ever before seen in print. So curious is the old narrative
that I deem it worthy of a few Avords here.

John A. Sutter will probably always be popularly consid-
ered as the first discoverer of gold in California. True, he
owned the rancho where it was found, but James W. Mar-
shall, who was in his employ, was really the person. He
picked up the first gold, satisfied himself of its purity, and
then made it known to Sutter. The story of its fii-st discov-
ery, the spread of the news, the armies of men Avho Hocked
to the spot, and the vast Avealth Avhich has thus flowed to the
Nation, all furnish material for an extended essay, but we
must hasten.

In June last I was in the pretty town of Golden, seventeen
miles west of Denver, the capital of the territory of Colorado.
The hofel-car, in Avhich we had been living for a week past,
was draAvn up upon a siding. This was our home, and from
here we set out upon our various excursions among the Kocky
INIountains. AVe were brought otKcially into relations Avith
Capt. Edward Berthoud, the Chief Engineer of the Colorado

* See History of California. Robert Greenhow, Translator and Libra-
rian to the Department of State, Washington ; also ]\Ienioirs Historical.
&c., by same. 1810.

THE YO-SEMITE. D

Central Eailroad. A friendship sprang np between us and
I soon found that Capt. Berthoud was a man learned in many
things — as botany, geology and history, as well as engineer-
ing. One day I happened to say to him that I was going
ov^er that often considered question of the derivation of the
word California,* and then it was tliat he told me, that he
had in his possession an old book which contained an early
mention of the existence of gold in California and proposed
to show it to me on the morrow. Capt. Berthoudf is a French-
man, and brought the book with him, many years ago, to this
country. It belonged to his father before him, and is a rare
volume. It is not contained in any liljrary in this cit}^ and
up to this writing I have been unable to find anywhere another
copy.

I give you first the title of the book and then the extract
verhatim, which contains the curious record.

" A voyage round the world by the way of the Great South Sea.
Performed in the years 1719-20-21-22 in the Speedwell of London,
of 24 guns and 100 men (under His Majefty's Commiffion to cruife on
the Spaniards in the late war with the Spanifh Crown) till fhe was call
away on the Ifland of Juan Fernandez in May 1720; and afterwards
continu'd in the Recovery, the Jefus Maria, and Sacra Familia, &c. By
Capt. George Shelvocke, Commander of the Speedwell, Recovery &c.
in this expedition. MDCCXXVI.

No complaint can be found with this title on the score of
wanting explicitness. Nowadays we always try to have our
book titles tell as little as possible of what is within — a sort
of mania for mystification, but in former times, when print-
ing was far more tedious, and reading by far less generally
practised, they used to print titles so that one knew what the
book treated upon and need not be put to so unpleasant a task
as reading several chapters to learn what the title should
have been.

But to the words of the old book ;

* See " Annals of San Francisco," &c. Soule, N. Y,, 1855, page 23.
t Berthoud Pass, in the Eocky Mountains, Avas named after him.

G THE YO-SEMITE,

" As to the bounds and extent of California our Geographers have
never yet been able to determine either by their own obfervations or
information from others, whether it is an ifland, or a part of the Con-
tinent of North America."

The record then ijoes on to state that they wonld not try to
determine the fact, bnt if they did, it

" would be perhaps more a fatisfaction to the curious, than any real
advantage to us ; fince it would be much the fame to us whether it be
an Ifland, or a part of the Continent, if we had any advantageous views
of making any fettlements there."

The record then continues :

"The Eailern coaft of that part of California, which I had a fight
of, appears to be mountaineous, barren, and fandy and very like fome
parts of Peru ; but neverthelefs the foil about Puerto Seguro, and
(very likely in moll of the vallies) is a rich black mould, which as you
turn it frefh up to the fun appears as if intermingled with gold-duil,
fome of which we endeavor'd to wafli and purify from the dirt ; but
tho' we were a little prejudic'd againil the thoughts that it would be
poffible that this metal fhould be so promifcuoufly and univerfally min-
gled with common earth, yet we endeavor'd to cl^anfe and wafh the
earth from fome of it, and the more wc did, the more it appear'd like
gold ; but in order to be further fatisfied, I brought away fome of it
which we loft in our confufions in China But be that as it will, it is
very probable that this country abounds in metals of all forts, though
the inhabitants had no utensils or ornaments of any metal whatfover,
which is no wonder, fince they are fo perfectly ignorant in all arts."

Tliose "confusions in China" of wliich our author speaks,
may have saved for us the State, for had tlic "gold-dust"
reached England, her people would have found their Avay
over the oceans to this far-otF land, driven out the Spaniards
and natives and made a history for our consideration — the
life of a State for our contemplation. But it was for Ameri-
cans in later days to found a State, and advance it to jiros-
perity and stability. It was for Americans to explore the
mountain fastnesses and acquaint us with their grand and

THE YO-SEMITE. 7

awful scenery, and it was to be the crowning gloiy of Ameri-
cans to lay down a track over tlie rugged Sierras and drive
over it the iron-horse, dragging precious freiglits — a traclv
wliich should be a link in the iron bands which now hold the
two oceans together.

In the development of this State, and the exploration of
the mountain-wilds, that famous valley was discovered, of
which I shall speak. Let us first describe in general terms
the immediate country, and then trace the history of its dis-
covery.

That range of mountains known as "Sierra Nevada" is
limited to California, and extends from Mt. Shasta in the
north to Tejon pass in the south, a length as estimated of 550
miles. Beyond Mt. Shasta this range with greatly diminished
elevations stretches away through Oregon and Washington
Territory imder the name of the "Cascade Range," while
from Tejon pass they become assimilated with the Coast
Range geographically, but still to the geologist the two ranges
retain their respective characteristics.

Eighty miles is given as the average width of this moun-
tain range, whose western slope by a gradual descent finds its
level on the shores of the Pacific, while the eastern is more
abrupt, rising from the great basin up to the lofty peaks,,
within a space of a few miles. Deep gorges have been
ploughed through this range, which are denominated "passes."

I will give you the elevation of some of the principal of
these passes :

Mono, - _ . 10,765 feet above the sea.

Sonora, - - - 10,115

Carson. - - - 8,759

Yuba Gap, - - - 6,642

Donner, - - - 7,056

Through this last named the "Central Pacific" finds its way
over the ever snow-clad hills.

The peaks just around these passes are very lofty, as for
instance —

o THE YO-SE3IITE.

3It. Wliitiipy, - - 15,000 feet above the sea.

lied Slate Kuck, - - 13,400

Dana, - - - 13,227

Castle Peak. . _ - 12 500

Wooil's Peak, - - 10.552 ** "

Pyramid Peak, - - - 10,120

I state these elevations that you may compare tlicm with
our highest Xew Eiighind mountain — AVashington — which is
0,426 feet above the ocean. From tliis comparison you per-
ceive how much grander must be these granite hills.

The Sieiras arc so high that they have up their sides well
marked belts of vegetation. Around the foot hills we tind
the oak and pines {Piniis mbiniana, Qiiercus Sonomensis) as
those most characteristic.

The next the pitch and sugar pines, the spruce and cedar,
(Pimi.s 2X>nderosa, Phius Lamherliana, Libocedrus decur-
rens, Abies Douglasii), &c., &c. Next the firs — Plcea
grandis and P. amabilis, and also the Piniis contorta. In
the highest belt, the end of all vegetation, we have the Pinus
Jiexilis and the l*/nas artstata. All these trees arc by far
larger and taller than those which compose our forests, and
besides these we have those several groups of the "big trees"
as they arc called, which rival the world for size. Their
botanical name is Sequoia gigantea, a twin-sister of the red-
wood Sequoia seinpervirens, which abounds in the Truckee
region of the Sierras.

In vegetation, then, this region is not wanting, but really
surpasses the Avorld.*

Besides the passes which I have mentioned, there are great
depressions and fissures in these mountains, some of which
arc no doubt the result of glacial action, while others show
great volcanic upheavals.

Within this mountain range is located the Yo-Semite Valley.

After tlie first excitement of gold-hunting was over, those
who had settled in the State turned their attention to the pur-

NoTE. — See elevations as given by Prof. J. D. Whitney, " The Govevu-
ment Siu'veys, «S:c., &c.

* The Eucalyptus of Australia is taller.

THE YO-SEMITE. »

suit of farming, always called ranching in California. A
farmer is a rancher — his farm is a ranch, or properly a
rancho. They toolv up their lands in the great valleys called
San Joaquin and Sacramento, along the banks of the Merced,
the Tuolumne and the Frezno. Above the foot hills arc many
mountain meadows — little dish like valleys, with snow-capped
mountains all around them. In these little sheltered spots
the ffrass grov^^s rank and o-reen, offering scrateful feed for the
flocks and herds which are driven up from the valleys during
the summer months. As early as 1850 many sturdy pioneers
had taken up their ranchos, and were driving their cattle and
sheep up the mountain-sides to pasture. Their great trouble
was from the Indians, who, scattered about among the moun-
tains, committed great depredations upon the stock. The
people were so much annoyed that at last they formed them-
selves into a sort of military company — a guard for common
safety.

A common danger always raises in us a feeling for mutual
defence, and its development is that in us which we call mili-
tary spirit. These are the conditions of revolution. Thus
has often began a revolt — the result of which has been a
people's freedom — a tyrant's dethronement.

Here were wrono-s to be risrhted. True the Indians had
long held the lands, true the whites were pressing hard upon
them, but this does not give any plea of right for the Indians
to steal and murder. I believe the whites had the right — a
sacred right — to rise up against this oppression, and the
question of success and power is not a concomitant of the
right. According to the doctrine laid down by Froude in his
recent brilliant lectures, if the Indians had proven themselves
the more powerful, then it would have been right for the
Indians to continue their oppression, to steal the flocks and
herds, for they knew not money, and to force the whites into
paying tribute to their uncivilized customs. Does not the
mere statement of a case serve sufficiently to disapprove such
a doctrine? But to our narrative.

2

10 THE YO-SEMITE.

As a natuml result, then, of this common danger, there
was formed a military company. It was composed of the
hardy ranchers and sturdy miners from the near-by diggings,
who avowed their purpose to l)c either to drive the Indians
from the country or themselves die in the attempt. In the
country round were many tribes — the Mouos, the Merceds,
the Yo-Semites, and others,* the latter probably not a distinct
tribe, but composed of defcatetl parties from several tribes
who had taken refuge in the great valley. These gave the
settlers the most trouble and against them their power Avas
chiefly used.

Skirmishing and fighting became general along this part of
the Sierras. The whites would drive the Indians far up into
the mountains, but they would always lose track of them, the
Indians taking refuge in some fastness the entrance to Avhich
they could not discover. Thus for some time went on these
skirmishes between the parties contending for the mastery.
The whites became more emboldened and pushing further
into the mountains discovered that the retreat into which the
Indians took themselves, was a vast gorge, a sight of which
they obtained from a near-by peak. Those who had seen this
place of retreat told wonderful stories about it, upon their
return to the plains. Undoubtedly this was the first time
white men had ever o])tained even a glimpse of this wonder-
ful scenery, and it is not surprising that those who composed
the company, should have given such a description of the
oforire as should have led others to desire to see it. This was
late in the sunmier of 1850. During the rainy or winter
season the ranchers talked over the discovery, and talking
only magnified the stories, which spread into the mining
camps, and at night around the camp-fires many Avcrc the
wonderful tales related and many were the plans formed for
exploring that " mountain retreat " the next season. A gi'cat
excitement was raised in the settlements around, so that when

* Cliook-chan-cie, Po-to-en-cie, Noot-cho, Po-ho-ne-chee, Ilo-na-ehee,
Chow-chilla.

THE YO-SEMITE. 11

spring came, it was no difficult task for Capt. Bolingto orga-
nize his company of picked men, to make an expedition into
the momitains both for the purpose of exploring the " valley
or gorge," and to exterminate the Indians, that they would
not trouble them during the coming planting time. March,
1851, saw the company fully organized and equipped and
read}' to start. They called to their aid Te-nei-ya, an old
chief, who had always been friendly to the whites. Even
among Indians there are always some, of such good parts,
that they make for themselves friends.

Te -nei-ya led the band of explorers, and knowing the trail,
a few days' march brought them into that valley, which we
now know as "Yo-Semite." Imagination can only paint the
scene, as those hardy ranchers, led by the old and friendly
Te-nei-ya, stood upon the edge of the mountains which form
the sides of this wonderful valley. They must have stood
awe-stricken and mute. The romantic wildness and sublime
grandeur of the scene spread out before them must have over-
powered them, even though made of "stern stuff."

It is related that at one time Te-nei-ya failed the whites,
and they called to their aid another friendly Indian, Cow-
chit-ty by name, who led them on and has to this day remained
true to the whites. This last named Indian I had the pleas-
ure of seeing.

On our way to the valley we had proceeded as far as Clark
and Moore's where we were to stay over Sunday. It ^w as a
pleasant June day, and after lunch we were all sitting upon the
piazza listening to Mr. Clark, as he told us of the incidents of
his earl}' life in these mountains. The sound of a rider was
heard, and looking up, we saw galloping into the yard an old
Indian, with a white silk handkerchief about his head, panta-
loons of great size and white as snow, in a striped shirt, a
flannel blouse, and without shoes. The horse which he rode
was a real mustang and his saddle was of Mexican make.
Dismounting, he walked with uncertain step directly towards
us, and greeted INIr. Clark, who addressed him as Capt. John,
with grave yet hearty look and speech.

12 THE YO-SEMITE.

This Avas the oiice powerful chief of the powerful Frczuos,
and he to whom the whites once looked for a safe conduct
amoniist the dan^^crous fastnesses of those sfreat mountains
which towered around us, with their snow-capped peaks.

Mr. Clark with some difficulty and by using some Spanish,
some Indian, and a little English, made the old chief under-
stand that I lived " six moons " away, or a distance equal to
about three thousand miles, and near that " other ocean."
The old man with a face full of animation raised himself up,
and exclaimed in his broken English, "Whew ! too much}'
far, old Injun !"

No indeed ! he nor any of his tribe will ever see that
" other ocean " of which the soothsayers have often told them
around the council fires. These tribes are fast passing away
and they wmU be soon numbered with their brothers of the
Atlantic, wdiile the tribes in the grejit middle ground will
survive but a few years longer, the calamities which have
overtaken the red men, dwellers by either ocean.

It is related that the Indians were terribly disheartened by
this to them " unceremonious invasion," and after a little
skirmishing made peace w^ith the men who had found the way
into this retreat which had for so lonsr been their secure
hiding-place.

The story of the visit of the Indian chief, Jose Jerez, a
name more Spanish than Indian, under chai-ge of James D.
Savage, to San Francisco, the oflfensc given the chief, and
the manner in which he and his people avenged it, is told
quite graphically by ISIr. Ilutchings.* To the incidents
connected with this affair, he gives, I apprehend, too much
prominence in the train of circumstances Avhicli led to the
discovery of the valley.

As the Indians kept their peace, there was no occasion for
the whites to push so far into the mountains, and for some
year or more, little was done towards exploring further this

* See " Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California," &c. J. M.
Hutchings, of Yo-Semile, 1870. N. Y.

THE YO-SEMITE. 13

valley. But little seems to have been said about the place
outside of the country immediatel}^ around. To the renewed
excitement in the finding of gold all seem to have turned
their attention, and for a time to have forgotten the wonder-
ful scenery.

The killing of two miners in or near the valley in the sum-
mer oi 1852, led to the fitting out of a second expedition.
This time the miners from the Mariposa country furnished
the men, and they styled themselves the "Mariposa Battal-
ion." They pushed into the valley, attacked the Indians
without mercy, killed many, and the rest drove out. These
took refuge with the Monos, avIio dwelt by the hike of the
same name upon the Eastern side of the Sierras. We are
told the tril)es afterwards fought among themselves, and that
the Monos almost entirely exterminated the tribe called "Yo-
Semites."

Upon the return of the soldiers, each had his story to tell,
some of which obtained quite a circulation through the State,
but were, I am told, generally discredited, being looked upon
as the "yarns of a traveller." They were not given to exag-
geration if they were as moderate in all their estimates, as in
giving the height of the Yo-Semite Fall which they repoi-ted
as being " more than a thousand feet high," and of the moun-
tain peaks they gave their height at about half their real
altitude.

To find a good reason for the tardiness w^ith which the
stories of the towering cliffs, the magnificent waterfalls, the
great trees and the wonderful scenery of this valley, s^jread
through the State and found their way into the eastern press is
difiicult. I can only explain it in the extraordinary excite-
ment which existed about gold, the restlessness of the people^
who rushed from place to place as the news of newly-found
" diggings " reached them, and the general distrust with which
all the more sober part of the people there, and all Eastern
men, accepted the stories which were told " of ( Adifornia."
At all events several years passed away before much was
known of the Yo-Semite,

14 THE YO-SEMITE.

What little had become known with any accuracy was
coniniunicatcd by Dr. L. II. Bunnell, who had been a mem-
ber of that celebrated " oMariposa Battalion." He had looked
upon the scenery with ai-tist-eye, and was a true lover of
Nature. He was a gentleman of extended knowledge and
agreeable parts, and wimiing the confidence of the Indians
who accompanied them, and whom they met, he obtained
from them, all the information which he could, respecting
names of the waterfalls, the mountains and the valley itself.
To him, probably, is due the name given to the valley. His
accounts of Avhat he had seen gi-aduall^' attracted attention,
and few names arc so closely connected Avith the history of
this "wonderful valley" as that of Bunnell's.

In 1855 Mr. J. M. Ilutchings, with a small party, made the
first excursion into the vallc}-. He was led to the place hy
the stories of the Avonderful scenery which had reached him,
and to obtain material for his series of papers illustrating the
scenery of California. A second party of sixteen persons
from the town of ISIariposa made a visit the same year to the
valley. The reports made by these tourists and the descrip-
tions which now found their way into the press, made the
year 185G memorable in opening the travel to the Yo-Semite.
A trail was cut on the Mariposa side and it may be said that
by the next year pleasure travel was fairly began.

Of course these early visitors were forced to carry with
them a full set of camp equipage, and the condition of the
roads and the trails up the mountains made the journey one
of hardship and in many places very dangerous. As tourists
began to turn their steps towards the valley, persons, Avhose
aim was "to turn a penny" into their pockets, began to try
to meet the wants of these travellers. In the autumn of
1856 the first house was built, and was for many years known
as the "Lower Hotel." The building is still standing and
forms a part of the hotel now known as the "New Sentinel,"
and kept by Mr. Black. In the spring of 1857 one Hite
erected a canvas house some half a mile further up the valley

THE YO-SEMITE. 15

than ilie first mentioned. In the spring of 1858 was erected
the building which now forms "Hutchings' Hotel." Messrs.
Hite and Beardsley were the owners, and for a season they
kept it as a lioteL It was continued by different parties,
Peck, Longhurst and others till 1864, when Mr. Hutchings
assumed the business which has since been continued by him
with a sharp eye to the " financial gains." The Lower Hotel
was kept successively by John Reed in 1857, by one Cun-
ningham from 1858 to 1861. In 1863 G. F. Leidig took it
and kept it till 1870. In 1871 Leidig erected a new hotel an
eighth of a mile further down than his old house, which he
is no^v keeping.

In 1857 there was erected a small building t© be used as a
store-house above the site of the present Hutchings Hotel.
All these save the Leidig's new hotel, which I have mentioned,
were rude structures made from rough boards, without plas-
tering and with partitions made of cloth. Everything at this
time had to be brought upon the backs of mules or horses
from fifty to sixty miles and over the roughest of rough
mountain trails.

In 1871 ]Mr. John Smith erected a building in which he
opened a saloon, bath rooms, a barber's shop, &c., for the
accommodation of guests. This year Mr. Hutchings added
a new building to his hotel which is used as a dormitory.
Several small unfinished buildings are scattered througli the
valley, used for various purposes, as photographic galleries,
telegraph ofiice, a store, &c. The houses and buildings of
J. C. Lamon are situated at the upper end of the valley.
These comprise the buildings so far erected in the valley, and
all of them are rude structures, serving only for a poor pro-
tection against storms.

The first white man who took up his residence in the valley
was Mr. J. C. Lamon. From his oavu lips I learned the fol-
lowing facts of his life. He was led to the valley from hear-
ing the wonderful stories about it. He was at work in the
mines in the Mariposa country at the time, and after thinking

16

THE YO-SEMITE.

the matter over he resolved to make a visit into the valley.
Ill 1851) he made his tir-st journey into the Yo-Scmite. He
says he was perfectly enraptured by the place and his first
impulses were to make his home here. He staid during the
summer and made some considerable progress in exploring
different parts of the valley and the country immediately
around it. He fixes the day that he reached the vallc}- as
either the 18th or 20th of April, 1859. The next year he
returned to the valley with the full determination to make it
his home and began to clear up a piece of land, erect a log
cabin, set out trees, &c. In the winter he lived among the
"various towns down among the foot-hills, as Mariposa, Coul-
terville, and various mining camps. He returned the next
season and having got his house into complete order, he has
since resided in tlie valley, Avinter as well as summer. For
several years he spent the long winter alone in this vast soli-
tude, with little of animate life around him. Even the
Indians seek other places to pass the winter — the l)irds tly
away to the lower valleys — the deer go down nearer the
dwelling places of man. What thoughts must arise in one
thus dwelling alone with nature ! He told me that the scenery
was so grand, so ever-changing that he could not feel lone-
some. Occasionally as he would think of himself alone in
this valley, with impassable barriers of snow l)etween him
and the settlements, he would offer up a prayer that he might
be protected against sickness and suffering, for with health
he found ample resources of happiness. For two years he
had an occasional companion in the person of Henry Wilmer.
As you come doAvn the jNIariposa trail, just as you reach
the level of the valley, you pass a large tree, around the
trunk of which you see some rough boards standing W:th
inclined sides. You examine the rude strueturc and find
that the boards cover a great opening in the tree which fire
had made and that the space within scarcely allows a man to
lie with extended liml)s. Your guide tells you that the her-
mit lived here and that he died in the valley and is buried

THE YO-SEMITE. 17

near the banks of the swift flowing Merced. This is all he
'can tell you; of his name, his history, his motives, he can
tell you nothing. Mr. Lamon furnished me with the facts.

Poor Wilmer, as he affectionately called him, was from
New York. There terrible and unrelenting adversities and
domestic troubles coming upon him, he sought in the great
mountain solitude escape from his cares. He lived in this
rudely constructed shelter and spent his time in fishing and
hunting. All the solicitations of Mr. Lamon that he come
and share his cabin with him were politely refused, for, said
]Mr. Lamon, " Wilmer shew his good bringing up, and I
think he was born a gentleman." At long intervals he would
come over and spend a day at the cabin and then tell Lamon
of his past life. Letters would reach him from his friends
and then he would become very low-spirited, " and act like a
madman." He grew more and more dejected and sad, ceased
to find any oblivion in his fishing-rod and rifle, and often told
Lamon that he had fully resolved to take his own life.
Lamon had not seen him for a longer time thau usual ; the
Indians as they came to the cabin said, "White man gone,
we no see him ;" and so Lamon started for the rude shelter
with a sad heart. Sure enough, there was no one there and
nothing to tell where Wilmer had gone. Next day while
searching the river, he found the body thrown upon its rocky
bank. Thus ended the life of James Wilmer, whose grave
made that day was the first for a white man in that weird
solitude. There is, however, a tradition that the two miners
killed in 1852 were buried at the foot of the Bridal Veil
Fall, but I could not learn that this was well authenticated.
All that is now left to tell of Wilmer is the rude hut which
he adapted after the fire had almost formed it. Mr. Lamon
is the only person who knew Wilmer, and the sturdy moun-
taineer tells you the simple story with such feeling, as comes
from a sympathetic heart.

There is another man to whom justice must be done, for in
speaking of those who have labored to open the Yo-Semite

18 THE YO-SEMITE.

to the world, Galen Clark must never be omitted. jSIr. Clark
formerly lived in New York eity ; the gold exeitement took
him to California in 1853, and varied circumstances led him
to the Mariposa country. He was engaired in l)uilding a race
to carry water to the " diggings " when the company for which
he was at work failed. Finding himself thus situated in 1855,
he located in the mountains on the hanks of the south fork of
the Merced, and upon the trail to the Yo-Semite. He opened
a liotel which was a canvas tent, afterwards built a log-cabin,
then a frame house, and now has several buildiuirs and one
of the most hospitable homes which I found in all the country.
Mr. Clark has done great service in exploring the mountains
and locating and enumerating the groves of big trees. At
l^resent the wagon road ends and the trail Ijcgins at his rancho,
on the journey to the valley, and from here also the trip to
the ^Mariposa grove of big trees is made. ]Mr. Clark is a
man of great intelligence, a true lover of nature, very plain
and simple in his habits, and to this day preserves the custom
of nightly lighting a camp-tire before his door. Although
well advanced in years he is still "hale and hearty" and car-
ries as true a shot as in his younger days. In the country
round he has a good name, and the Indians speak of him as
"Father Clark."

Thus is told the story of the discovery and exploration of
the Yo-Semite, and the settlements made therein. But little
so far has l)een done to mar the valley, the few buildings
which have been erected are so sliij-ht in their structure that
they seem built only for the day.

I come now to speak of the scenery in and around the
Yo-Semite. It is with caution that I shall do it, ever mind-
ful of the exaggerated stories which have found their way
into the press. I shall give you nothing from hearsay, and
shall only describe what I myself have seen. Where 1 give
you measurements of altitudes I shall take the last report of
the surveys under charge of Prof. J. 1). Whitney, State
Geoloijist.

THE YO-SEMITE. 19

I am aware also that even the best authenticated measure-
ments of the mouutahis, the water-falls, and the " Big Trees "
will be received by the popular mind reluctantly, for all their
preconceived notions are associated with the hills just about
them.

Again, what we know of such objects is by comparison ;
we associate a tall tree always with a low one, a high moun-
tain with a hill. So it is, when you are set down in one of
these great forests of the Sierras, where all the trees are larger
by far than in New England, we lose sight for the moment of
their greater size. Bring to 3^our aid a cord, which you can
stretch around the tree and then lay down by the outstretched
line a foot-rule, and you will perceive the size by comparison.
Again, standing upon one side of the valley and lookuig
across to a granite mountain face, sharply and smoothly cut,
and it seems not very high, but go to the foot of that rock
and look up its face and its thousands of feet are perceived.

Be assured then that I shall not over-state anything, and if
it should seem quite impossible to imagine even, such grand
developments of Nature, when compared with our New Eng-
land scenery, believe that although she has been lavish to us,
she chose another spot as the arena of her grandest displays.

A little to the south of east is the direction in which the
Yo-Semite lies from San Francisco, and at a distance in an
air line of one hundred and fifty-five miles, but more than
two hundred and fifty miles must be travelled to reach the
valley. There are many routes advertised, but really they
reduce themselves to two, for yon must enter the valley either
upon the side towards Mariposa, or on the side towards
Coulterville. From the first named place the wagon road
terminates at Clark's rancho and thence by saddle train into
the valley. On the other side the wagon road extends to the
top of the mountain, to a place called Gentry's, and thence
by a steep trail down its side. But the best and most simple
direction to be given to the tourist is to go into the valley on
one side and out upon the other, for at every step new scen-
ery is brought into view.

20 THE YO-SEMITE.

Wc will follow the trail from Clark's, whose raiicho lies
upon the South Fork of the Merced, and which is crossed at
this point by a bridge. The trail follows along a ridge rising
higher and higher at every advance, now ascending rapidly
and now winding through a mountain meadow. A few miles
on we reach a great meadow, famed in the country round and
which lies at an elevation of 7,100 feet, and a little further
on we pass the highest point on the trail, 7,400 feet above the
sea. The great banks of snow over which I rode in June,
and the structure of the trees and plants all told of the great
altitude. The Plnus contorta stru":<;led against the ice and
snows, and the firs scattered about with their green, although
scanty, foliage, contrasted pleasingly with the l)arren soil and
snow drifts. Some twenty miles of horse- back ride from
Clark's brings us to that famous spot called Inspiration Point,
and Avhere is obtained the first view of the valley. Let me
try to give you some idea of the view from this point. We
are at the edge of the valley on a huge rock which juts out
into it. To the west the valle}^ seems to close up just beyond
where we stand, to the east we have a view which is unsur-
passed for beauty and grandeur. The rarity of the air and
its dryness extends our range of vision over a great space.

We arrived there just as the sun was sinking behind the
great mountains, casting lingering rays through the valley,
reflecting itself in the river and gilding the far-off peaks.
Just in front of us over a mountain, loAver than where we
stood, tumbled a stream, and, falling, broke into white foam,
M'hich floated aAvay in mist. This fall the Indians called
Po-ho-iio, or the "Night Wind," l)ut which has received the
popular name of "Bridal Veil." Its height from the valley
level to the edge of the mountain is 900 feet. It is fed from
the melting snows, forming a river which flows through a
depression or canon, tumbling over the sharp wall into the
valley, and by some lialf a dozen brooks finds its way into
the Merced. From our situation it has a pretty rather than
sublime efllbct, the very opposite of Niagara. After we

THE YO-SEMITE.

21

entered the valley a few of us made our way up near the foot
of this fall, and then the noise from the foaming water and
the swaying of the tall trees gave us that effect Avhich led the
Indians to see in this place the spirit of the night wind, or
Po-ho-no.

Far below us the level of the valley is seen, but so far that
the great trees seem like shrubs and the river which winds
along looks like a brook. To our left across the valley rises
the form of that great mountain called El Capitan, by the
Indians Tu-tock-a-mu-la, or the great chief. The popular
name is an attempt at affectation and is neither English nor
Spanish. This is a great granite mountain which seems to
jut out into the valley, rising from its level almost perpen-
dicularly 3,300 feet. It is an imposing sight and its size is
only fully appreciated by riding around its face, and climbing
upon the talus at its foot and then looking up its smoothly
cut side. At some distance up the valley the avails seem to
close together. On the right we have those three great rocks
which lie one upon the other, and which the Indians called
Pom-pom-pa-sus, or mountains playing at leap-frog. They
are called the " Three Brothers " by us. Beyond these we
have that great and perfect dome like mountain which has
received the name of North Dome, and which rises 3,568
feet above the valle3^ This is one of those dome shaped
masses of rock which Prof. "Whitney tells us is not uncom-
mon in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where they are devel-
oped on a grander scale than in any other, granite region with
which geologists are familiar. On our left we have South or
Half Dome, which is the loftiest and most imposing mass of
rock which belongs to the Yo-Semite. It rises to a height of
4,737 feet above the valley and stands out a great sentinel
overlooking all. Beyond these we have the snowy mountains
rising up grandly against the sky, Cloud's Rest, Mt. Starr
King, and the peaks of the Obelisk group of granite hills.
These last named mountains are from thirty to sixty-five
miles from where wc are standing. With all that I have thus

22 THE YO-SEMITE.

liiistily (loseribcd in view, with tho cnrtli around us, clothed
in niMoiiJHccnt mountain flowers, with the trees tall and <rraud,
and the atmosphere so clear that you have a ran<,^e of vision
of sixty miles and more, and you can imairinc the beauty, the
grandeur and the sublimity of the scene which is spread out
l)eforc us as wc stand at Inspiration Point.

This is a spot where one loves to linger and drink in the
inspiration. The feelinirs which seem uppermost in all are
those of reverence and humility, and the great mountains
Avhieh rise one above the other, seem like succeeding steps by
which we can climb up above and beyond the clouds, which
rest upon the far-ofi' pe;dis, to still greater beauty.

To reach the valley level we must descend 2,973 feet, and
within such a distance as makes the trail in some places very
steep. New views open at every step, the mountains take on
new forms, the water-falls come nearer, the Avails of the
valley seem closing around us. Wc could easily find the
places from which Rierstadt and Hill each painted his picture,
which give so truthful representations of the valley and its
scenery.

Having now reached the level of the valley, which lies
4,000 feet above the sea, let us take a general view of this
great gorge or depression. The vallc}- is situated nearly in
the centre of California, from north to south, and midway
between the bases of that range of mountains known as the
Sierras. At this point of the range its width is given at
sevent}^ miles. The length of the valley is six miles, its
width varies from one- naif to a mile and a half in width,
its surface is nearly level, its walls are of granite almost per-
pendicular. Take the general level of the surrounding region,
and the valley level is nearly a mile below it. Prof. AVhitney
calls it a "gigantic trough." The general direction of the
valley is north-east by east, until near its upper cud where
it makes a sharp turn and divides into three canons, the
northerly Tc-na-ya or Te-nei-ya, the middle one Nevada,
.and the southerly, Il-lil-lou-ettc. Through each of these

THE YO-SEMITE. 23

canons flows a branch of the Merced — the Tenaya in the
first, the Nevada or main river in the second and the Illillou-
ette or Sonth Fork in the third, all of which unite in the
valley and form the Merced river, which flows through the
Yo-Scmite and finds its way out between almost perpendicu-
lar granite walls, and flowing across the plain empties into
the San Joaquin river. At the lower part of the valley it
narrows in a V shaped canon, giving only space between the
walls for the river.

Prof. J. D. Whitney thus sums up the distinguishing fea-
tures of tlie Yo-Semite Valley, and his words are so truthful
that I quote them verbatim:

"The principal features of the Yo-Semite, and those by which it is clis-
tinguislied from all other known valleys, are : first, the near approach to
vertioality of its walls ; second, tlieir great height, not only absolutely,
but as compared with the width of the Valley itself; and, finally, the very
small amount (if talus or debris at the base of these gigantic clifts. These
are the gi-eat chai-acteristics of the Yo-Semite throughout its whole length ;
but besides these, there are many other striking peculiarities and features
both of sublimity and beauty winch can hardly be surpassed if equalled,
by those of any mountain valleys in the world. Eitiier the domes or the-
waterfalls of the Yo-Semite or any single one of them even, would be^
sufficient in any European country to attract travellers from far and wide-
in all directions. Water-falls in the vicinity of the Yo-Semite. surpassing
in beauty many of those best known and most visited in Europe are actu-
ally left entirely unnoticed by travellers, because there are so many other-
objects of interest to be visited that it is impossible to find time for them,
all."

My plan now will be to take you on an excursion through:
the valley, observing the points of interest on the right hand
side and then on the left, from Inspiration Point towards the
head of the valley. For this purpose we must remount our
mules, arrange our clothing for rough trails and the fording of
streams.

The first object which rivets our attention is the Bridal
Veil or Po-ho-no, and seen from the valley level is even more

See Yo-Semite Guide Book, published by order of the Legislature of.
California, by Prof. J. D. Whitney, State Geologist, pp. 53-54.

24

THE YO-SEMITE.

bcautiiul lliaii -when ^\c looked tloAvii upon it from Inspiration
Point. This fall in the late summer dries up to a mere trickling:
of Avater over the side of the mountain. It is formed by a
creek ^vhich has received the same name, rises near Empire
Camjoand flowing through the great mountain meadow, Avhich
we cross in our journey from Clark's to Inspiration Point,
is at last precipitated into the valley. The sheet of water
falls 630 feet perpendicularly upon a pile of debris and over
this it rushes in innumerable cascades, into the various brooks
which flow into the Merced. The height of this talus is
about 300 feet, making the height of the cliti' 900 feet. The
water spreads out into a fleecy veil which sways to and fro in
the currents of air Avhich itself creates. The effect whether
near or at some distance is, as you can imagine, quite pleas-
ing. "We next come to a prominent granite mountain which
has received the name of Cathedral Rock, but Avhich the
Indians called Poo-see-nah Chuck-ka, which means the big-
acorn cache. It is 2,GG0 feet high. Xear by are the Cathe-
dral spires, which when brought into relief by proper lights
and shadows, look like two gothic spires of some old cathedral
hidden behind the great roek whieli has received that name.
Just along this side of the valley its walls arc formed into
shapes more fantastic than beautiful, but which all give the
beholder much pleasure.

One of the grandest masses of rock in the whole valley is
the Sentinel, which stands like a huge watch tower of slender
form a thousand feet above the valley wall. This the Indians
called this Lo-ya, a place to give a signal. It is 3,043 feet
above the river. From here the Avail of the valley extends
quite evenly to Glacier Point, Avhieh has an altitude of 3,200
feet, and Avhere the valley turns into Illillouette canon.

Crossing the jNIcrced Ave Avill make a tour of inspection on
the left hand side. Opposite Inspiration Point stands old
Tu-tock-a-mu-la, Avhich Avhen looked at from a near point,
giA^es a striking idea of solid grandeur. It rises 3,300 feet, is
distinctly seen from the »San Joaquin valley, more than sixty

THE YO-SEMITE. 25

miles distant. The debris at the foot of this rock is very
little, its sides are smoothly cut, entirely free from any kind
of vegetation. It is said of this monntain "El Capitan im-
poses on us by its stupendous bulk, -which seems as if hewed
from the mountains to stand as the type of eternal massive-
ness. It is doubtful if an3'"\vhere in the world there is pre-
sented so squarely cut, so lofty and so imposing a face of
rock."

Proceeding on we next come to the fall, which is called the
Virgin's Tear, and while it lasts is a beautiful sight as the
water trickles over the side of the mountain for more than a
thousand feet. It lasts but a few weeks of each reciu'ring
season. Next we have those three hills called the Three
Brothers, which are huge rocks, looking somewhat like three
frogs, one above the other, the highest being 3,830 feet high,
and which gave the Indian name Pom-pom-pa-sus.

The next object of interest is that which receives more
attention than all others, the Yo-Semite Fall. A stream
heads in Mt. Hoffman, ten miles away, flows over a smooth
granite bed, receiving the waters of the melted snows, and
finding its way to the edge of the mountain, tumbles over it
in its course to the Merced. At the point of breaking over
the edge of the mountain, Prof. Whitney measui-ed the river
at a medium stage of water and places its width at twenty
feet and its average depth two feet, which would be two hun-
dred and twenty cubic feet of water per second falling over
the precipice, taking the velocity of the flow at one mile per
hour. On the 17th day of June, 1865, Mr. J. F. Houghton
measured the creek below^ the fall and found it, in width thir-
ty-seven feet, in depth twenty-five inches, and in velocity to
be one mile per hour, which would give rising five hundred
thousand cubic feet of water passing over the falls in one
hour. At times of floods there is probably three or four
times that amount of water. Looking at this fall directly
in front it seems to be blended into one harmonious whole, a
a great leap, a succession of cascades, and then a shorter

26 THE YO-SEMITE.

leap when it is lost amid the tall trees which grow around the
foot of the mountain. Its vertical hei<>ht is jjiven as 2,634
feet, the measurements varying from 2,537 to 2,641, accord-
ing to the level assumed as the starting point. The first
vertical descent is 1,500 feet, to where the water strikes upon
a shelf, about one-third of a mile in depth hack from the
outermost clift' over which the water falls at last. From this
shelf the Avater rushes in a series of cascades down an incli-
nation equivalent in vertical or perpendicular measurement of
626 feet, and then over the outer cliff upon the talus at the
foot, from the top of which to the lip of the cliff is 400 feet.
It would seem that all the elements of grand l)cauty and
attractiveness are gathered in this fall and its surroundings,
and in vertical height it surpasses any other yet found with
any tiling like the same body of water. Niagara is 164 feet
high on the American and 150 on the Canadian side, but its
extreme Avidth is 4,750 feet.

One of the most attractive features of this fall is its vibra-
tory motion. The mass of water is so great that it does not
bieak up into spray, but from less than forty feet where it
pours over the rock it Avidens out to more than three hundred,
where it falls upon the shelf, and this great mass swings in a
space little less than a thousand feet from east to west. As
the water falls over, rocket-like masses are formed which
seem to whirl around with great ra[)idity as they descend.
Tills is said to be due to the action of the strong currents of
air which are formed. As the air is collected within the fall-
ing mass of water by this swinging and whirling motion and
strikes upon the shelf of rock a noise like the report of a
cannon is heard.

I must leave you to imagine the grandeur of the Yo-Semite
Fall. It is indescriba1)le in its varied aspects under a full
noon-day sun, at eventide when soml)re shadows creep through
the valley, (u- in the light of the full moon. To the Indian
there was something awful, for he called it Yo-Scmite —
better Yo-ham-e-ta — or the great grizzly bear, which to him

TPIE YO-SEMITE. 27

is of all things most awful, for after death if he has been a
bad Indian he becomes a grizzly bear and is doomed to live
anions: the great snow mountains.

Some two miles on along the walls of the valley we come
to the point where the three canons begin, and keeping still
to the left we have in view a rounded mass of granite which
has received the name of Washington Column, 1,875 feet
high. This the Indians called Hun-to, or the watching eye.

Just beyond we have those peculiarly formed cavities in
the side of the mountains made no donbt by the falling away
of a part of some of the concentric plates of which the mass
is made up. The Indian gave these the poetical name of
To-coy-ae, or shade to a baby-basket. Above the Arches,
rises the North Dome to the height of 3,568 feet. From the
valley it looks like a perfect dome, its sides perfectly inacces-
sible, but on the back side by a long ridge one can reach the
summit. Geologists tell us that such dome shaped masses
composed of concentric plates are common in all granitic
regions. Up Tenaya canon, we come to Cloud's Rest, which
can be visited late in the season, and when at the top one is
quite 10,000 feet above the sea.

Before leaving this canon let us add a few more words
about South Dome, which is situated on the right hand side.
The Indians call it Tis-pa-ack — the goddess of the valley.
It is perfectly inaccessible to man, and one side is a perfect
dome, while upon the other it is cut crosswise of the mass,
smoothly, and is absolutely vertical for some 2,000 feet down
from the summit, and then shoots off at a sharp angle, with
very little talus or debris at its foot. If you have ever seen
one of Watkins' photographs of this mountain taken from the
meadoA7 in the valley, you will recall the peculiar shape of
the rock, and gain some idea of the imposing grandeur of this
huge granite hill. This rock is more unique in its appear-
ance than any other, for we are told no similar formation has
been found in the Sierras, and where upon our globe shall we
find a mountain to compare with it?

28 THE YO-SEMITE.

The Illillouotte cauoii h:is no trail yot made up the gorge,
Ijut is accessible on foot. Fine views are had of the rocks
and falls which bound the Nevada canon. At the head of
the gorge is a waterfall, where the South Fork of the Merced
enters the valley called Il-lil-lou-ette by the Indian — the
])eautiful — a name which, for a wonder, has been preserved.
It is a matter of regret that so few of the really appropriate
Indian names have been retained.

Now let us take fresh animals for a long and steep climb
np Nevada Canon, the middle one of the three, and through
which the main Merced flows.

The river in coming fi'om the high mountains beyond, down
to the vallej' level, makes in two miles a descent of more than
two thousand feet in perpendicular measurement. A\'c follow
along the right bank of the river, and some two miles from
Ilutchiugs' cross the South Fork or Illillouette near Avhcre it
unites with the main river. Just beyond we go over an
immense deposit of huge angular blocks of granite ])ilc(l u[)
like a terminal moraine, and which seem to have been torn
from the walls by a great ice-flow. The trail now rises very
rapidly to follow the river bank. For some distance the
river is a wild torrent, and really more fearful to behold than
the rapids of Niagara. Vty considering the inclination of
the rocky bed over which it flows, you can form some idea
of this surging stream, wdiicli plunges down the canon at a
fearful rate. The rocks, the trees, the shrubs even, all seem
to be wild and grotesque in shape, in this narrow, but steep
gorge. It is a weird spot — the home of nymphs and genii.
"We soon arrive at the tirst fall, called the Accrual, but Avhich
the Indians called Pi-wy-ack, the sparkling river. Here the
rainbow is seen in glory, for the rising mist finds every sun-
beam which creeps into the canon and refracts its rays. The
fall is 400 feet, with spra}' and foam rising half this height.
There is a great body of water flowing over this great granite
step, as it were, which stretches across the canon. The sight
of this fall is lovely, and to climl) over the rocks amid the

THE YO-SEMITE.

29

spray and catch the fleeting bows, repays one for a little exer-
tion, and perhaps more danger.

To get over "this step," our trail becomes very steep and
winds along a precipitous ridge. The river between the two
falls descends 300 feet of perpendicular height, and this
together with the height of the Vernal Fall must be sur-
mounted by a steep climb, which we found tar more difficult
to climb down than to cUinh up. Reaching the foot of Nevada
Falls we had a grand sight — a great river precipitated over a
granite rock 600 feet high. A projection of the rocky edge
about the centre of the river gives a twirl to the water, and
foam and mist are thrown in all directions over and among
the great trees which grow about the foot of the fall.

To our left rises a peculiarly rounded mass of granite about
2,000 feet higher than where we stand at the foot of Nevada
Falls. From this side it is inaccessible, but by going around
and by a long trail the top can be reached. There is grow-
ing a tree of considerable size just upon the summit, but its
gnarled form and shortened branches tell of its hard fight
with the winter's winds and snows. This mountain is now
usually called "Cap of Liberty," although it has been desig-
nated by several other names. For picturesque beauty, lor
weird spots, for grand waterfalls, the Nevada canon surpasses
all the others, and is really the most interesting of the excur-
sions made by tourists.

Having now spoken of the water-falls which add so much
to the pleasing effect of the Yo-Semite scenery, if they do
not, as some have said, add anything to the grandeur, allow
me to call your attention to some of the more noted water-
falls with which geographers have made us acquainted. In
this Avay a better idea is had of those which belong to the
Yo-Semite. Niagara, with its great volume of water, and
sublime effect, will always challenge comparison. The Zam-
bezi, or rather the falls of this river, are described by Dr.
Livingstone as very grand. He gave the name of Victoria
to these falls, but which has not become popular. The river

30

THE YO-SEMITE.

al)oiit ono-Ii.'ilf mile in width rushes over a precipice one hun
dred feel hii>-li, and turning almost tit right angles is held by
two high walls not more than twenty yards apart for some
thirty miles of its course. Europe has many water-falls
which tourists seek out with eagerness, especially those of
Switzerland and Norway. The Stauhhach in the Alps is
about the height of the Bridal Veil — i)00 feet— but we are
told that the volume of water is very insigniticant when com-
pared with Po-ho-no in its glory. The Aar, at Ilandeck, is
a pretty fall, but cannot compare even with those least noted
in the Yo-Semite. The Gavarnie in the Pyrenees is the high-
est in Europe, being 1,2(56 feet, but the volume of water is
ilacking to this fall to give a grand effect, nevertheless it is a
very pleasing sight. The finest fall in p]urope as admitted
on all sides is the VoringFoss in Ncn'wa}^ estimated in height
850 feet, of good volume, but falls into an inaccessible chasm,
so that it can be viewed onl}' from above, by which much of
its beauty is lost. The Kaietenr Falls in British Guiana is
spoken of by travellers as the finest -water-fall in South
America. Some of the numerous falls which have been found
in the Yellowstone country are very pleasing in their aj^pear-
ance, but none of them have such elements of grandeur in
them as those of the Yo-Semite.

There are, of course, some others which might be named,
but these are sufficient to show you that the Falls which we
have described as giving so much bcautv to the Yo-Semite
Valley are superior at least in some of the elements of gran-
deur and sul>limity to any yet examined and described by
travellers and geogra})liers.

Even from this imperfect description of the scener}' of the
Yo-Semite, I cannot omit to say a few words upon the trees,
the plants and flowers which adorn and beautify the valley.
I shall not attempt to give a complete j^oyr?, l)ut only mention
a few of the more striking plants.

The surface of the valky is nearly level, contains 1,141
.acres, of which 745 are meadow, and lies at an elevation of

THE YO-SEMITE.

31

4,000 feet aboA^e the level of the ocean. The mean of the
various observations made by Prof. Whitney Avas 4,046 feet,
and as this has been the result of several other series of
observations, the elevation as given may be taken as correct.
Around the valley just at the foot of the monntains wo have
the piles of kdits or debris, extending irregularly towards the
river. Next we have a belt of sand — the washings and
scourings of the granite debris.' At each end of the valley
we have meadows of a deep, peaty soil, and along the river
little strips of this black monld. The meadow just before
we reach the three canons is by far the larger. The river is
in v^ idth say seventy feet, but in places at high stages of the
w^ater it spreads itself out in great lakes. Over these low
meadow lands grows quite luxuriantly a tree, which is often
mistaken for the cotton-wood, and which is the best estab-
lished of any found in thc: valley. It is what is known as the
Balm of Gilead Poplar — Poj^idus baUamifera. We also see
the willow and the spruce, and large masses of the azalea
occidentalis, which gives a charm to the valley with its bright
and shining white clusters of fragrant flowers. Along the
river banks we have the yellow flowering plant called ^e/^eniww2
grandiflorwn. In the narrower portions of the valley where
the debris and the sand washed therefrom cover the whole
space Ave have a dense growth of the Alder {Alnus viridis),
and also small trees of the lihamnus Menziesii. The foliage
of both of these trees are peculiar in color and seem to take
on the sombre hues of the gray mountains around them. We
find also the Douglas spruce, the willow, and occasionally a
large and lofty sugar-pine. In the drier portions of the
sandy soil we have trees of the yellow pine (^P. jponderosa,)
from 125 to 150 feet in height, and cedar trees of noble pro-
portions. There are also groves of black oak trees (^Quercus'
sonomensis) scattered about in difierent parts of the valley..
The meadows are filled with coarse grasses and sedges* of
rampant growth.

* Calaniagrostis canadensis ; Pragmites communis ; Glyceria nervata, .
&c., &c.

32

THE YO-SEMITE.

Around th-3 Vernnl Falls there are many fine specimens of
cryptoganious plants, and upon the shelving rocks grow ferns
Avhich have all the grace of those found in the tropics.*
Beautiful leaved, and gaudily colored shruhs and flowers are
found in patches throughout the valley. Among the shrubs
the man/anita (uircfosf(ijj/(i/h(!< f/hnica) and among the flowers
the pentsteraons are the most conspicuous. f

The piles of debris or (ahis have collected in man}' places
considerable soil, in Avhich are clusters of tr(^es standing
against the very rocks. The oaks, a few maples and some
shrubs and flowers which are not found in the meadows and
sandy places, a))ound on these piles of debris-X The most
conspicuous shrul) is the ceonotlius, which is one of the niost
beautiful of this class of plants I have ever seen. A\'ith
variously colored flowers it is found in at least two belts of
vegetation in California, and on the mountains bounding Napa
valley, it covers the hill-sides with its feathery foliage and
delicate flowers.

In June the trees are in full leaf, the shrul )s arc in flower,
and the })lants are either in bud, or covered with fragrant
blooms. The glories of the vegetable world at this time are
added, to make the Yo-Semite the famed spot that it is — a
spot without a parallel — unique in its sublime isolation of
granite peaks, grand in its water-falls and glorious in its
drapery of many colored blossoms.

It would be perhaps profitable, at least it would be very
interesting, to examine the geological theories of the forma-

*Atlianlnni pedatiim; Pelloca dcns.a; P. Bndgesii ; P. mucronatn ;
Cheilanllies gracillima; Polypodinin Califovnicuni ; Aspidium argutum ;
Cystopteris fragilis, &c.

fCornus Nuttallii ; llubiis Nntkaniis; Rosablaiula; PentslfinoH laetiis;
Hosackia grand i flora; Frangula Californic-a ; S])vaquea umljellata; Co-
mandra umbellata; Silene coiupacta; Chaenactis acliillu'folia.

i Qunrcus chrysolepis ; Q. vaooinifulia: Acer macrophyllum; A. gla-
bruni; Ti-trantheraCalifoniica; r)aliiaf()nr('rlin()ra; Ccoiiotluis iiitcgeiTi-
nius; C. divaiicatus; Pliiladdphus C'alifoniiciis; Rhus divors^iloba;
hilii, &c., &c.

THE YO-SEMITE. 33

tion of this valley. In the discussion the usual division is
made between the advocates of glacial action and those who
discard this theoiy for the formation of gorges and valleys
similar to, if not upon so grand a scale as, the Yo-Semite.
Prof. Whitney, who holds the position of State Geologist,
and therefore speaks with some authority, after reviewing the
various theories, sums them all up in his own which may be
put into one word — subskJance.* He thinks that tiie area of
the valley sank about a mile below the general level of the
surrounding country. To refute this, many tkcts can be
adduced which seem convincing.

It seems to me strange that so few eminent geologists have
ever even visited the Yo-Semite, and no one has ever made a
complete survey. Prof. Agassiz has promised a visit to this
region, and from him we should have a candid and plain
statement of the results of his examination in the light of
his extended knowledge. We know the Alps, may we not,
the Sierras?

There is and has been for two years past, living in the
valley a gentleman of Scottish parentage, by name John
Muir, who, Hugh Miller like, is studying the. rocks in and
around the valley. He told me that he was " trying to read
the great book spread out before him." He is by himself
pursuing a course of geological studies, and is making care-
ful drawings of the different parts of the gorge. No doubt
he is more thoroughly acquainted wath this valley than any
one else. lie has been far up the Sierras where glaciers are
now in action, ploughing deep depressions in the mountains.
He has made a critical examination of the superincumbent
rocks, and already -has much material upon which to form a
correct theory.

This valley or gorge is upon so much grander scale than
any other yet found, that geologists have shrunk from advanc-
ing a theory grand enough to explain it. Until we can
describe an ice-flow broader and deeper by a thousand times

*See Repoi-ts, &c., &c., State Geological office, San Francisco.

34

THE YO-SEMITE.

than any now known, and shall find its terminal moraine in
the great valleys of Sacramento and San Joaquin, we shall
fail in properly contemplating the Yo-Scmite and one of
Nature's grandest geological disj^lays.

There has been much discussion as to tlie orijrin of the
name of the valley. The Indians know the phice as Ah-
wah-nee and it seems strange that this was not adopted. The
orthography of the Avord Yo-Semite is still more strange.
The Indian word spelled as nearly after their pronunciation
as possible would be Yo-ham-e-ta or Yo-hem-e-ta. The pre-
sent name seems to have gained currency during the summer
of 1851 and is retained, although several attempts were early
macle to change it. Dr. L. H. Bunnell is probal)ly the first
man who recorded the name of the valley, and his orthogra-
phy is th;it now in use. In vain I have searched among tiie
books upon California and the valley, for some solution of
this problem, but all leave it by saying it is impossible to tell
how the name came into use.

All inquiries into the adoption of names of places bring
to light certain historical fiicts, and to the student it is of
much interest as Avell as profit to pursue such investigations.
Let me give you what seems to me a solution of this seem-
ingly vexed question. The origin of the name, California,
is by far more obscure.

It has been suggested that this name was that of the most
jDowerful tribe of Indians, who had given to the country
round their name, but this has been disapproved by histori-
ans of the early wars with the natives, and in fact the Yo-
Semites were not a distinct tribe,* but the Indians who dwelt
in the valley were composed of defeated parties from the
several tribes, and this name has rather been in later days
given this band of outcast warriors than theirs to the valley.

It is well known that the Indian sees in every mountain,
and tree, in the water-fall, and in every weird spot a spirit or
nymph, whose life is enwrapped in this outward form. In

*Sec Dr. Bunnell's Indian Wiu-s, Ilutchlngs' Magazine, «&c.

THE YO-SEMITE. 35

the water- fall at the entrance to the valley, he saw the spirit
of the night wind ; in the mountain called South Dome he
saw the goddess of the valley ; in the trees he found nymphs
who exercised a certain power over him. The whole race is
very imaginative, and given to the contemplation of things
supernatural. Those who have lived among them till they
have learned their traditions, their customs and habits of
thought, tell us that certain of them travel from tribe to tribe
and around a council fire tell the most wonderful stories of
their origin, the visits of the great-spirit to earth, the great
battles of their tribe in which the genii which preside over
their fortune took part. They point you to Mt. Shasta as
the wigwam where the great spirit dwells, to little INIt. Shasta
where lives the grizzly bear, the father of all Indians, with
his r/o(?-wife. He imagines smoke rising from the wigwam
fires within these mountains, and on their side he sees plainly
the prints of the feet of the great-spirit, made when he came
down the mountain.

It seems perfectly natural then that the Indian should find
a pervading spirit in the valley. That which struck him as
the development as it were of this spirit was the great fall
which seemed grand and awful to his untutored mind, and
this he called Yo-ham-e-ta, and as this spirit of the grand and
awful pervaded all the valley, he found Yo-ham-e-ta at every
step, for mountains and water-falls, all were grand and im-
posing.

It was also in perfect accord with his nature that this spirit
should be that which to him is the most awful thing: known
— a great and full-grown grizzly bear. He has implicit
belief that every Indian who leads a wicked life, is to become
a grizzly bear doomed to live among the snowy mountains
where there is no deer for his food. His heaven is a place
where he can lie all day in his wigwam and deer shall come
to his door to be made into venison. It was then, I repeat,
in accord with his nature to find the spirit of the great grizzly
bear in the valley — to him Yo-ham-e-ta.

36 THE YO-SEMITE.

The name of tlie locus or the place then -svas Ah-wah-nce,
and the spirit of Ah-wah-nee was Yo-liam-G-ta.

For the orthography it is more diflicult to account. AVe
knoAV that the Spaniards as they gradually spread themselves
over the country mingled with the native tribes and that there
grew up a race, in California called ^lexicans, which show the
characteristics of their progenitors. Their language is mostly
Spanish, but somewhat modified l)y the Indian. Long inter-
course with the Spaniards also had taught the Indians many
new words. The children of the minjrlino: of these races
speak to-day peculiar dialects. Since settlements were made
by Americans this race has died out or been driven out of
most of the towns. You can see that all these circumstances
had much influence upon the language of the several i)eoples.
The s and z sounds are quite wanting in the Indian dialects,
and in the words now used by the Indians which have these
sounds they have been modified by or taken entire from the
Spanish. It is one of the most difHcult tasks to put into
English letters the words and names of the Indians, for
among the members of a single tribe, each individual has a
pronmiciation different from the other. This influence of the
Spanish \\\wn the speech of the natives is very a})parent, and
the difKculty in spelling Indian words is forcibly proven by a
single trial.

It is said that when the Americans made their way over
into the valley, the Indians in their despair cried out what
seemed like Yo-sem-i-te. Dr. Bunnell first gave this ortlio-
graph}', and he supposed it to be the Indian name of the
valley. Later investigations showed it to be not the name of
the valley, but of the Avater-fall, which is the highest, or
rather a corruption of that name.

All through the State we see the labored attempts on the
part of the whites to entirely ignore all the Indian names.
They early began to hate the natives and this hatred became
so fierce that they would not even allow a name to remain
to remind them of the Indian or any of his race. All that

THE YO-SEMITE. 37

Avas Spanish they retained and cherished and even if any
Indian name became early attached to any place, later years
would see the word so changed that little of the original
would be left. The Indian name Yo-ham-c-ta may have been
thus treated, although the car]y date at ^vhich we find the
present orthography given, seems to point to its origin in an
attempt to put into English letters the spoken word of the
Indians.

It was, it seems to me, the vei-}- thing that those natives of
the forests, who for so long had found a secure retreat in this,
to them Ah-wah-nee where the sjJirit, Yo ham-e-ta, found its
home, would do when, with ruthless march, the invaders came
upon them, to cry to that S2yirit to protect them and the place
where they dwelt. The white men caught the word and put
it as nearly as they could into English letters, so that upon
their return to the settlements they gave the name, each pro-
nouncing it, as nearly as he could, as they had heard it. AIL
have now acquiesced in this orthography, and there "« ould be-
little use to try to make current another name, if indeed any
other would be better. Let it remain forever ! In it per-
petuate the traditions of the poor Indian who saw in this-
awful and sublime scenery, that might)' spirit which was ever-
before him — the dread grizzly bear !

I now come to speak briefly of the developmeut of this
famed valley. It will serve us to first see what has been
done by Congress and the State of California towards this
object. In 1864 Congress enacted that the " (vleft or Gorge "
in the Granite Peak of the Sierras, estimated in length fifteen
miles, with its various spurs and canons and one mile back
from the edge of the precipice on all sides be granted to the
State of California " that the said State shall accept this grant
upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held
for public use, resort and recreation ; shall be inalienable for
all time, but leases not exceeding ten years may be granted
for portions of said premises."* The signature of the Presi-

* See Statutes at Large, 1864, and Congi-essional Globe same year.

38 THE YO-SEMITE.

dent of the United States, approving the act was given June
30, 1804, and in accordance with this act Governor Low
issued his prochunation taking possession of said territor}' for
the purposes specified. The following named gentlemen Averc
appointed Commissioners : F. Law Olmstead, J. D. "Whitney,
William Ashburner, L AV. Eaymond, Alexander Deering,
George W. Coulter and Galen Clark. Henry AV. Cleveland
has since been appointed in place of ]Mr. Olmstead, who
resigned. These arc the Commissioners at present. The
necessary surveys to establish "the locus, extent and limits
of the said Cleft or Gorge " were at once began and now have
been completed and filed at AVashington. To complete the
dedication of this ])ortion of the Sierras as a place of "resort
and recreation " the State Legislature by public act accepted
the trust, confirmed the Commissioners and gave them certain
powers to enable them to properly protect the valley. A
guardian of the valley, as he is called, was appointed, further
surveys made, the roads and trails improved, a map of the
valley level completed, and in 18G7 a report was made to the
Legislature, and further appropriations were asked for, to
carry out their plans.

At the time the Connnissioners took possession of the valley
there were several persons already settled in the valley and
many claimants, all of whom the Commissioners proposed to
treat liberally. Messrs. Ilutchings and Lamon were foremost
in their opposition to the Commissioners and persisted in
their claims to a fee-simple of IGO acres each. They sought
redress in the courts and before the Legislature. Mr. Laraon
it is said, would have yielded his claim to the fee in the land,
upon payment of a smn to be agreed upon for the improve-
ments which he had made, for all of which it seems he should
have received a fair compensation. lie was an actual settler,
the first in the valley, and had really ploughed and tilled the
soil. Not so with Mr. Ilutchings ; he came to the valley,
bought a house and opened a Jiotel, which means in such a
place, a medium of making large charges for the least that

THE YO-SEMITE. 39

can be given. At the Legislature of 1867-8 they appeared
and pressed their claims with so much tact and energy that a
bill was proposed giving them 160 acres each, and so far as
votes of the members were needed it became a law. At the
Fortieth Congress this bill was presented for ratification, and
an act of approval was passed by the House, but failed in
the Senate. At the second session of the Forty-first Con-
gress a bill was again introduced but failed. Thus matters
have rested.

It is no wonder that the press, with almost universal voice,
opposed any action of Congress whereby any portion of the
valley should be given in fee to any person. Every citizen
in the United States has acquired a kind of right in and to
this national play ground. It was a shame, yea almost a
fraud uj)on the rights of the people, to thus attempt to set
aside a solemn compact entered into by the nation and the
State of California. Those discussions are still fresh in your
memories and although they resulted in a defeat of the bills
proposed in Congress, the partial success of the claimants
paralyzed the efforts of the Commissioners, and the natural
consequences have flown from this inaction. There might
have been long ago a carriage-road built into the valley on
the Mariposa side, suitable hotel accommodations might have
been provided, trails to the various points of interest could
have been made, and all done under the direction of the
Commissioners and used by the people under proper restric-
tions. Now the valley is a haunt for people who are unprin-
cipled in their treatment of tourists. I know of many per-
sons abandoning the trip to the Yo-Semite after reaching San
Francisco, upon hearing the story of returned tourists.
Cliques and interests combine to make the most money that
they can, and these too strong to be opposed, luxuriate in
their gains. I would not include all in my indictment, for
there are on the road and in the valley gentlemen of high-
toned principles, and moral rectitude, but the few are only
brought out in fuller relief by the many against whom so
many complaints are made.

40

THE YO-SEMITE.

There arc now poiuling suits involving the eolkiteral (|;!0>i-
tions in the })rocceclings to procure decisions upon the claim.^
of Mr. Iliitehings, but if the Court holds, as it undoubtedly
Avill, to its former rulings, then there need be no fear that
any private individual will have in fee any part of that
domain, which God himself set apart, and forbade man to
build his cities and haliitations upon.

The people of California having accepted the trust, ought
to cany it out in good faith, and to them to-day the nation
is looking for such action as shall make this, as the Art f
Congress intended, a place " for public use, resort, and recre-
ation."

The Central Pacific Rrilroad Company, which is the great
power at present in California, has not by any means done
what they could and ought in making the travel to the Yo-
Semite easy and exijeditious. True they have laid their track
down the San Joaquin valley and tourists are landed at their
new hotel — El Capitan — in their new city of Merced, but
towards putting the stage-roads in order, or making a car-
riage-road into the valley, they have done nothing. You
may ask, why should they. I can only reply because at the
end of the great roads across the continent lies this famed
valley — the place to which every tourist looks with longing
eye, and this company owns the complete monopoly of laying
a track nearest to the mountains in which lies the Yo-Semite.

Like all other wrongs suffered by a people, this will in
time be righted. A new era in the history of the Yo-Semite
will begin, the course of which an abler pen shall trace. The
gi'and scenery, the everlasting mountains, the magnificent
water-falls will remain, and each recurring season the trees,
the plants and flowers shall have their time of bud and bloom,
for do what he will, man can but slightly mar the grandeur
and beauty of the valley, while the suldime isolation of those
.granite hills, he can never change.

THE

YO-SEMITE,

Its History, its Scenery, its Development.

By John Erastus Lester.

1 873.

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